Virtualization may enable enterprises and individuals to provide flexible, efficient communication services for many users, networks, and/or computing devices. For example, an enterprise may create a virtual network device by emulating a physical network device via software running on a physical host. This virtual network device may perform the same functions as a physical network device but without the burden of being tied and/or limited to specific physical hardware. As a result, the enterprise may quickly and easily update the configuration or settings of the virtual network device (as well as generate new virtual network devices) in order to handle dynamically changing network demands.
Both physical network devices and virtual network devices may be paired with and/or connected to backup network devices. For example, a backup network device may be designed to become active following failures or malfunctions of a primary network device. In this way, the backup device may ensure that network traffic directed to the primary device is appropriately handled or forwarded. In a traditional backup deployment, a primary physical network device may send, to the operating system of a backup physical network device, state information and/or settings that enable the backup device to replicate and/or operate as the primary device.
Unfortunately, such a traditional backup deployment may be incompatible with virtual environments. For example, the operating system of a primary virtual network device may be separated and/or partitioned from a physical device that hosts the primary virtual network device. This separation and/or partition may prevent the primary virtual network device from identifying and/or communicating with other virtual network devices. As a result, the primary virtual device may be unable to facilitate generating and/or setting up a backup virtual device.
The instant disclosure, therefore, identifies and addresses a need for improved apparatuses, systems, and methods for deploying backup virtual network devices.